Fiber optic telecommunications technology is becoming more prevalent in part because service providers want to deliver high bandwidth communication capabilities to customers. A typical fiber optic telecommunications system includes a network of fiber optic cables (e.g., distribution cables or branch cables such as drop cables or stub cables) routed from a central location (e.g., a service provider's central office) to remote locations in close proximity to subscribers. The fiber optic telecommunications systems also can include additional components, such as fiber distribution hubs housing optical splitters for splitting optical signals and drop terminals providing interconnect locations for facilitating connecting subscribers to the fiber optic network.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0233506A1, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,349,605, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a fiber optic network including a distribution cable having factory terminated breakout locations. Each factory terminated breakout location includes a tether having a free end connectorized with a factory installed multi-fiber connector. In the field, the multi-fiber connector allows the tether to be quickly connected to a branch cable. One end of the branch cable includes a multi-fiber connector adapted to interconnect with the multi-fiber connector of the tether to provide optical connections between the optical fibers of the branch cable and the optical fibers of the tether. The other end of the branch cable is connected to a drop terminal.
When an optical connector is installed at the end of an optical cable such as a branch cable, it is often desirable to have a certain length of excess fiber that extends beyond a jacketed end portion of the cable to facilitate the connector installation process. For example, the excess fiber length facilitates low pressure polishing of a ferrule of the fiber optic connector and also facilitates mechanically coupling the fiber optic connector to the fiber optic connector. However, due to friction within the fiber optic cable, it can be difficult to withdraw a sufficient length of fiber from the end of the cable for use during the installation process. This is particularly true for longer lengths of cable (e.g., cable longer than 18 feet). Improved techniques for connectorizing fiber optic cables are needed.